XLK · Annual Return — Technology Sector Historical Calendar-Year Returns
XLK year to date: +21.1% as of 2026-11-12.
Tech Sector Annual Returns — Calendar-year performances of XLK through the dot-com bubble, the smartphone era, and the cloud/AI expansion.
The plate
Latest Snapshot
- Average
- +13.8%
- Positive years
- 20
- Negative years
- 7
- Best year
- 1999 +65.2%
- Worst year
- 2000 -41.9%
- Observations
- 28
- Sample
- 1999-12-31 – 2026-11-12
Complete calendar returns since 1999: spanning the +65% right tail of 1999, the -42% left tail of 2008, and recent multi-year strength propelled by enterprise cloud and AI infrastructure demand.
What this page answers
Since 1999, XLK has recorded 27 calendar years: 20 positive and 7 negative (a 74% annual win rate), delivering an arithmetic mean annual return of +13.8%. Its strongest annual advance was 1999 (+65.2%); its steepest contraction occurred in 2000 (-41.9%). The most recent period, 2026 (year-to-date, through 2026-11-12), stands at +21.1%. XLK returned an arithmetic average of 13.8% a year over the 27 complete calendar years 1999–2025, or 9.6% a year compounded.
Complete calendar returns since 1999: spanning the +65% right tail of 1999, the -42% left tail of 2008, and recent multi-year strength propelled by enterprise cloud and AI infrastructure demand. The data is refreshed by the History of Market pipeline and published as a stable JSON endpoint for research, citation, and AI-agent use.
XLK — annual return over the past 5 to 25 years (complete years through 2025)
| Window | Return |
|---|---|
| 5 years | 18.2% |
| 10 years | 22.4% |
| 15 years | 19.2% |
| 20 years | 15.5% |
| 25 years | 10.6% |
XLK — historical calendar-year returns, 1999–2026
| Year | Return |
|---|---|
| 2026 | +21.1% |
| 2025 | +24.6% |
| 2024 | +21.6% |
| 2023 | +56.0% |
| 2022 | -27.7% |
| 2021 | +34.7% |
| 2020 | +43.6% |
| 2019 | +49.8% |
| 2018 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | +34.3% |
| 2016 | +15.0% |
| 2015 | +5.5% |
| 2014 | +17.9% |
| 2013 | +26.3% |
| 2012 | +15.3% |
| 2011 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | +11.4% |
| 2009 | +51.4% |
| 2008 | -41.6% |
| 2007 | +15.5% |
| 2006 | +12.2% |
| 2005 | -0.4% |
| 2004 | +5.6% |
| 2003 | +38.7% |
| 2002 | -38.2% |
| 2001 | -23.3% |
| 2000 | -41.9% |
| 1999 | +65.2% |
Complete record (28 rows). Raw dataset: https://historyofmarket.com/api/xlk/annual-returns.json
Data & Source
GET /api/xlk/annual-returns.json — Canonical dataset endpoint.
Exchange closing prices · Company filings · Robert Shiller · FRED · NBER.
FAQ
What is the average annual return of XLK?
XLK returned an arithmetic average of 13.8% a year over the 27 complete calendar years 1999–2025, or 9.6% a year compounded.
What has XLK returned per year over the past 10 and 20 years?
Compound annual rates over complete calendar years through 2025: past 10 years (2016–2025) 22.4% a year; past 20 years (2006–2025) 15.5% a year.
What was the best year on record?
1999, when XLK rallied +65.2%.
What was the worst year on record?
2000, when XLK plunged -41.9%.
Where does this data come from?
History of Market combines public market and macro datasets — exchange closing prices, company filings, Robert Shiller, FRED, NBER, and the UBS Global Investment Returns Yearbook (Dimson–Marsh–Staunton). The exact endpoint for this panel is linked below.
How often is it updated?
Daily-tier datasets refresh after the U.S. market close, with a broader weekly refresh each weekend. The timestamp shown on this page comes from the JSON payload.
Can I use the data?
Yes, for research and education with attribution to History of Market. Upstream data sources retain their own terms.